Lewis Structure [ENDORSED]

[ZachMoore1C]

When do you know when to connect the atoms with a single, double, or triple bond

[ElizabethP1L]

Hi! That's a very broad question! From drawing them out for homework and in class, I've noticed oxygen tends to form double bond since it has 6 valence electrons and needs two more. I don't think there's any way to know for sure. I would just try different combinations to fill each atom's octet and see which yields the least formal charge (which would indicate the most stable structure). Hope this helped! :)

[Heung Ching Chia 1E]

I think there really isn't a way to know beforehand. The first step is to count valence electrons available in the molecule and then the second step is to attach the atoms to each other with single bonds to form a skeletal structure.

From then on, it kind of is trial and error. You just have to place the remaining electrons around various atoms to try to satisfy the octet rule or the duet rule for hydrogen and at the same time calculate the formal charges for each individual atom and the overall atom to get the lowest possible formal charge (lowest formal charge=structure most stable.)

[salvadoralvizo1J]

Atoms that fall on the 3P orbital would have a higher tendency to form double and triple bonds due to the fact that these atoms are the exceptions to the octet rule, and may be able to hold up to an extra 20 electrons.